The story of the Mongolian team resembles a fairy tale about a phoenix that has risen from the ashes. At the end of 2022, the team disbanded when the last players left, and for a time The MongolZ disappeared from the esports horizon. However, in 2023, it came back to life...
Since its revival in 2023, the CS2 team The MongolZ has not only reasserted itself but also achieved significant success, winning several major tournaments and securing a silver medal in one of them, which allowed it to take leading positions in the world of esports.
How did a team from Mongolia, with a population of just 3.5 million, manage to reach such heights so quickly, surpassing more well-known players from developed esports regions?
Diving into History
The path of The MongolZ began in 2013 when Tuvshinbilég "oroitsonboroo" Lkhagvasuren decided to create an esports organization representing the best players in Mongolia. Initially, the main focus was on Dota 2, which determined the formation of the first roster.
Two years later, The MongolZ expanded its horizons and included Counter-Strike, which was popular among the youth in internet cafes in Ulaanbaatar. Among the founders were players such as Enkhthaiwan "Machinegun" Lkhagva, Temuulen "Zilkenberg" Battulga, and Erdenedalai "maaRaa" Bayanbat, who is currently the team's coach.
Significant success came to the team in 2016 when they won the Intel Extreme Masters X Taipei tournament. This was followed by victories at ASUS ROG Masters 2016 and other events, but they struggled to maintain a stable position among the top teams.
One of the main problems was the lack of support from sponsors and the government. Players faced a shortage of resources for proper training and constantly struggled with obtaining visas to participate in international tournaments. The management repeatedly attempted to change the team roster and seek assistance.
At the end of 2022, after the departure of the last players, The MongolZ effectively ceased to exist.
2023: Rising from the Ashes
At this point, it seemed that the story of The MongolZ could have ended, but support for esports in Mongolia began to grow, and a new generation of esports athletes was ready to conquer the peaks.
In early 2023, one of the strongest rosters in the country was the team IHC Esports, which included Gairdmagna "bLitz" Byambasuren, Sodbayar "Techno4K" Munkhbold, Baatarhuu "Bart4k" Batbold, Tuvshintugs "Annihilation" Nyamdorj, and Chinguun "hasteka" Bayarmaa. The team successfully passed the Asian qualifiers for the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 and was preparing to compete for a spot in the Asia-Pacific RMR.
Striving to become the best team in Asia, the players decided to start from scratch. On April 3, 2023, the entire roster, including coach Erdenedalai "maaRaa" Bayanbat, left IHC Esports and reclaimed the name The MongolZ.
The brand 1xBet, which had previously sponsored IHC Esports, believed in the new project and became the official partner of the team, giving the players the opportunity to develop and train under the best conditions in Europe.
2023: The MongolZ in the Top 20
Keeping the previous roster, The MongolZ was allowed to replace IHC Esports in the Asian qualifiers for the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. Just a week after the name change, the team traveled to Paris for its first major event, where, although they did not achieve outstanding results, they still gained unique experience.
In May 2023, due to unsatisfactory results, two players were removed. Bart4k consistently displayed a low level of play, while ANNIHILATION lacked stability.
Baatarhuu "Bart4k" Batbold was replaced by his younger brother, Ayush "mzinho" Batbold, who was only 15 years old at the time but already showed immense potential. He later shared that he became interested in esports thanks to his grandmother, who even took out a loan to buy him a computer.
Ösukhbayar "910" Banzragchaa joined the team as a sniper. He was known for his successes in Clutch Gaming and, despite a challenging path to esports, managed to make a name for himself. His career began with Dota 2, where he excelled, but then he decided to switch to Counter-Strike. Living in Darkhan, he often could only afford a one-way ticket to Ulaanbaatar, hoping for luck in tournaments.
In September 2023, Chinguun "hasteka" Bayarmaa, the oldest player on the team, decided to leave the roster to make way for the young. He was replaced by 17-year-old shooter Azbayar "Senzu" Munkhbold from NKT.
Interestingly, most of the players knew each other long before they became part of The MongolZ, which extends beyond the esports environment. For example, bLitz and Techno4K had previously met at the youth chess championship of Mongolia, while mzinho and Senzu have been friends since childhood.
The first year of the team was dedicated to refining gameplay combinations and finding effective strategies, which reflected in their ranking, fluctuating between 19th and 50th places. Nevertheless, by the end of 2023, The MongolZ consistently held 20th place in the HLTV ranking, without experiencing significant drops.
2024: Debut in the Top 10
In early 2024, Valve launched a new team ranking system, leading tournament organizers to invite teams based on the global Valve ranking (VRS). In this ranking, The MongolZ immediately took 25th place.
2024 turned out to be one of the most successful years for The MongolZ, as the team won several international tournaments, including eXTREMESLAND 2023 and Thunderpick World Championship 2024.
The team also successfully qualified for two major tournaments of the season, finishing 15th at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and 5th at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.
On the eve of the second major event of 2024, 1xBet Mongol supported its partners by creating a large mural in the center of Ulaanbaatar dedicated to The MongolZ. Now anyone can see this unique art on the wall of a building next to the statue of The Beatles.
In 2024, the prize money earned by the team exceeded $1 million, allowing The MongolZ to enter the top five most successful teams of the season, trailing only NAVI ($1.6 million), Team Spirit ($1.4 million), and G2 Esports ($1.2 million).
The team's successes throughout 2024 allowed The MongolZ to break into the top ten for the first time, finishing the season in 4th place in the Valve ranking and 7th in the HLTV ranking.
2025: The MongolZ at the Top of the World
In 2025, The MongolZ, previously known only at the national level, became recognized on the global esports stage. In February, the team was officially included in the national team of Mongolia and later held an exhibition match in Ulaanbaatar against legendary players from 2016, where veteran Zilkenberg impressed the audience despite the victory of the younger roster.
Although the team struggled to win trophies at the beginning of the season, by May The MongolZ had entered the top five on HLTV. Their breakthrough came at the BLAST.tv Austin Major, where they defeated FaZe Clan and paiN Gaming, reaching the finals against Team Vitality. Despite a fierce battle and the support of the audience, they were unable to secure silver and finished third in the HLTV ranking, marking the best result for Asian teams in the history of Counter-Strike.
By autumn, The MongolZ continued their success, winning gold at the 2025 World Esports Championship. On September 29, they secured first place in the HLTV and Valve rankings, confirming their status as the best CS2 team in the world.
Now, as a young but already successful team, The MongolZ strives to fulfill its cherished dream – to win a Major in Counter-Strike.
Author: AGBrief Editorial Team (The AGBrief editorial team consists of authors living around the world and connected with Asia Gaming Brief. They actively participate in verifying the sources of our news, ensuring their reliability and accuracy for our readers).
Translation: Tatar S.Maidar
Source: MiddleAsianNews
